Skin is subjected to numerous extrinsic and intrinsic negative influences that affect its appearance, physical properties and physiological functions. Extrinsic influences include ultraviolet radiation, environmental pollution, extreme temperatures, harsh surfactants, contamination from consumer products, oxidative stress, and mechanical stress caused by, for example, shaving, abrasions, and the like. Intrinsic influences include chronological aging, a person's genetic makeup, skin homogeneity, skin-barrier function, thickness of the skin layer, degradation of the extracellular matrix, the activity level of particular genes, nuclear cell function, and other biological changes, such as scarring, that occur from within the skin. Regardless of the specific cause, these factors result in the development of fine lines and wrinkles, sagging, and loss of elasticity and firmness, which are oftentimes associated with an attendant reduction in the skin's moisture content.
As the body's largest organ, skin holds in fluids and prevents dehydration. Consequently, it is important to the health and appearance of skin to keep it nourished in order to help counteract the damage caused by the above-referenced extrinsic and intrinsic influences. Dry skin is a particularly common disorder that affects both males and females equally, and is particularly prevalent in older individuals and those genetically predisposed to such a condition. People suffering from dry skin complain of flaking, itching, irritation, and an overall dull, rough and lackluster appearance to their skin. Moreover, as a person ages, their skin tends to produce fewer natural oils that aid in preventing moisture from escaping from the skin, and as a result older individuals are more prone to dehydration.
To counteract the negative impact of these extrinsic and intrinsic influences on skin, treatments such as topical therapy, oral therapy, cosmetic procedures and compositions, nutrition and dietary practices, injections, disruptive lifestyle adjustments, and UV therapy have been developed. Unfortunately, these treatments oftentimes suffer from drawbacks associated with skin irritation and/or prolonged recovery periods. Many cosmetic compositions include synthetic, harsh, petroleum-based, and/or carcinogenic or otherwise harmful ingredients as moisturizers or preservatives because of their low cost and/or efficacy.
For example, a moisturizing composition commonly contains emollients, preservatives, fragrances, and emulsifiers to hold the composition's ingredients together. Any or all of these categories of ingredients may contain synthetic and/or petroleum-based ingredients. For example, the emollient which aids in retaining moisture in the skin may be formed from petroleum and/or synthetic alcohols and may form a waterproof barrier on the skin. In some instances, such synthetic emollients are known to cause irritation or harm to the skin, to not soothe or provide necessary nutrients to the skin, and to be ineffective at moisturizing the skin, particularly over time. Synthetic emollients that are excessively occlusive, such that moisture is trapped against the skin, can interfere with normal skin function. Synthetic preservatives such as phenoxyethanol, parabens, formaldehyde donors, and other compounds can cause skin irritation and other serious health issues. Synthetic fragrances may likewise cause skin irritation and may be toxic. Non-plant-based emulsifiers usually comprise petroleum derivatives.
The use of such ingredients—and the deleterious effects associated therewith—has led to a demand for effective, all-natural cosmetic compositions that include ingredients such as moisturizers, preservatives, and other ingredients while omitting synthetic, petroleum-based, harsh, and/or harmful ingredients.
In response to the outstanding need in the industry for products that meet certain thresholds of “natural” and “organic” ingredients, coupled with the lack of official standards for what qualifies as “natural” and “organic,” preservative formulation has become a cottage industry with consumers gravitating towards products containing natural extracts, botanicals, or other ingredients derived from natural sources, while avoiding those products having ingredients that are either known to cause or suspected of causing adverse health reactions. Unfortunately, this ad hoc approach and decentralization of acquired knowledge and experience of generating effective preservative formulations has led to a host of ineffective solutions that typically result in diminished shelf-life and usability of associated topical consumer products.
Various third-party certifications have been established in an attempt to bring consistency and reliability to the use of natural and organic preservatives in topical consumer products. For example, ECOCERT® is an organic certification organization based in Europe that conducts inspections in over 80 countries, making it one of the largest organic certification organizations in the world. ECOCERT® primarily certifies food and food products but also certifies cosmetics, detergents, perfumes, and textiles and is a leading certifier of fair-trade food, cosmetics, and textiles.
Another example is the Cosmetic Organic Standard (COSMOS), a Europe-wide private standard that was developed by five charter members: BDIH (Germany), Cosmebio (France), Ecocert Greenlife SAS (France), ICEA (Italy), and Soil Association (Great Britain). They were all combined under AISBL (international non-profit organization based in Brussels), the purpose of which was to set out minimum common requirements, harmonize organic and natural cosmetic certification rules, and lobby institutions in the sector's interests. COSMOS makes use of the principles in the ECOCERT® standard: to promote the use of ingredients from organic farming, use production and manufacturing processes that are environmentally sound and safe for human health, and include and expand the concept of “green chemicals.”
The National Organic Program (NOP), a federal regulatory framework in the United States governing organic food, is yet another certification. The core mission of the NOP is to protect the integrity of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic seal. The seal is used for products adhering to USDA standards that contain at least 95% organic ingredients.
Yet despite the upwelling demand and need for all-natural cosmetic compositions and despite the certification systems pressuring the market to identify systems as such, existing efforts have had difficulty identifying natural cosmetic compositions that omit undesired ingredients without compromising on effective preservation, moisturizing, or other desired features.
The use of botanical extracts on the skin, and existing attempts to provide natural or plant-based moisturizers and other cosmetics, are limited to, on the one hand, highly limited and narrow descriptions of particularized treatments, such as eczema and psoriasis, and, on the other hand, highly generalized descriptions of botanical extracts that lack helpful instructions on how to actually formulate a skin-treatment product that is stable and effective and which omits harmful ingredients. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,177 to L'Oreal of Paris, France discusses the use of certain botanical ingredients in skincare, but does not teach or suggest the precise association of ingredients, extraction techniques, and solvents to be used, and ingredients to avoid, to provide an efficacious all-natural product capable of enhancing skin health and appearance.
Because of the number of botanical extracts, solvents, and extraction techniques, a prohibitively large number of possible cosmetic compositions can be conceived. But one cannot merely combine a mixture of random botanical extracts, in arbitrary concentrations, using arbitrary extraction techniques and solvents, with any expectation of successfully formulating a product with intended benefits and properties.
Further, when considering the currently available “all natural” skincare compositions, the reproducibility and scientific rigor of any alleged benefits are of particular concern. This challenge is illustrated by the aforementioned “cottage industry” of do-it-yourself (“DIY”) cosmeticians that have arisen on the internet, encouraging others to create their own cosmetic formulations having unsubstantiated benefits. Instructions are provided on how to make, for example, a nourishing face mask from ground oats, honey, and egg yolks; a three-ingredient moisturizer consisting of coconut oil mixed with lavender and tea-tree essential oils; an “all-natural” deodorant consisting of baking soda, starch, and coconut oil; and countless others. Such combinations may indeed be plant-based and free of synthetic ingredients, but credible and reproducible data demonstrating the efficacy and benefits of such combinations, and a demonstrated understanding of the chemical and biological mechanisms at play, are nowhere to be found.
Another major deterrent associated with the use of botanical ingredients in skincare compositions relates to their relative instability in products. This is evidenced by loss of potency, odor deviations, and discoloration that plague existing “all-natural” formulations. These negative attributes increase the risk of microbial contamination and proliferation, chemical instability, and safety of the products.
In view of the foregoing, there is not an all-natural cosmetic product such as a moisturizer that effectively improves skin health by, for example, properly retaining moisture while omitting synthetic or harmful additives, and that is demonstrated by reproducible and consistent benefits according to credible scientific standards and certifications. Accordingly, there is a need for an all-natural cosmetic product that provides effective skincare using only all-natural ingredients.